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The telephone answering service is a cheap and competitive way to ensure that all the calls to your small business are answered professionally and proficiently. However before browsing and finalizing the matter with them, you should clarify some things. Here we’ve have discussed the seven tips to negotiate with the service providers

1. What Are Your Set Monthly Charges?

Quite straight forward question, but really crucial. Irrespective of the usage, almost every telephone answering service has monthly charges. These charges would substantially vary so, in order to avoid any snag in rating factors against its value. Make a note of this set charge.

2. What Are Your Call Answering Rates?

Almost every telephone answering service provider charges a fee against the calls they answer. Depending on the overall terms of contract, this amount would fluctuate substantially. Normally per call is between 20c per call to $2. Sometimes the service providers take second as unit for the measurement for their labour, so make sure that you have summed up your estimation of your likely monthly calls and also that how much this will cost you monthly. However, keep in mind that as your small business will gain momentum and start growing, the number of calls will be increased. There would also been spam calls that will just increase your bill. Fortunately, these outsourcing companies often have several call plans and you can choose that is suitable for you.

3. What Timing Can Your Phone Service Operate?

Most of the service providers offer 24/7 round the clock telephone answering service. However, there are some that operate 5 days a week, 9-5pm. I strongly you to recommend select an outsourcing company providing 24/7 services because with this none or least of your calls will be missed. Ultimately the productivity of your business will be increased.

4.How Professionally Your Operators Can Answer Calls?

Here an important thing to understand is that the person answering calls on your behalf becomes the representative of your business. So make sure that the operator the service provider hire for you has fully understand your product and service information, have a set of Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) on hand and deal your customers professionally and sophisticatedly.

5. Can You Have a Trial Period?

To ensure that the telephone answering services you select are best for your business, a trial period helps you to test out their service standards before committing to a contract? Call out them a few times at different times. Analyze how timely and professionally they are answers the general questions and if you are satisfied with their service standers, conduct a deal with them.

6. Can You Provide Monthly Call Statistics?

Getting monthly call statistics from the outsourcing company helps you to take stock of the overall progress of your business. The good telephone answering service providers monthly call statistics such as:

Number of calls you received

Timing of each call

Types of calls you received

Analyze this information on a monthly basis to see what and how telephone answering service is making impact on your business.